I want to change the timing belt on my 74 JH, and I have a belt that I got with the car last year. That belt was at least a couple of years old then, so it's three years old now, but it hasn't been used, and it hasn't been subjected to extreme temperatures. Would it be OK to go ahead and use it?
It may be ok, I’d want to know more on how the belt was stored.
If the belt was stored in it’s original box in a temperature controlled environment, no problem. If the belt was sitting on your work bench, hanging from a rafter in the garage or thrown in the trunk, outside the box or exposed to seasonal temperature changes, I would invest in a new one. Being that these are rubber, they do deteriorate over time simply being exposed to air, even a brand new belt can become a liability very quickly. $23.95 would seem like a cheap price to pay in hindsight given what could happen when they fall apart.
